Yarn winding machine



?946- L. M. COTCHETT YARN WINDING MACHINE Qriginal Filed Jah. 19, 1943 12 Sheets-Sheet l Feb. 26, 1946.

L. M. COTCHETT YARN WINDING MACHINE Original Filed Jan. 19, 1943 12 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN VEN 0R Z Feb. 26, 194

L. M. COTC HETT YARN WINDING MACHINE ori inal-Filed Jan. 19, 1943 12 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR.

himivlil- H Lllulllllllu ll 1946. M. COTCHETT YARN WINDING MACHINE 12 Sheets-Sheet 4 Original Filed Jan. 19, 1943 $3 R 83 Q J 1 VINVINOR /M@22% Feb. 26, 1946. 1.. M. (IOTCHETT 2,395,462

YARN WINDING MACHINE Original Filed Jan. 19, 1943 12 Sheets-Sheet 5 26, 1945- L. M. COTCHETT YARN WINDING MACHINE Original Filed Jan. 19, 1943 12 Sheets-Sheet 6 V INVgTORi Feb. 26; 1946. M; COTCHE T 2,395,462

YARN WINDING MACHINE Original Filed Jan. l9, 1943 12 Sheets-Sheet 7 Feb. 26, L. M. .co c -r YARN WINDING MACHINE 12 Sheets-Sheet 8 Original Filed Jan. 19; 1.943

[NVE TORT L. M. COTCHETT YARN WINDING MACHINE Original Filed Jan. 19, 1943 l2 SheetSP-Shee't 9 INV NTOR Feb.'26, 1946. 1.. M. COTCHETT 2,395,462

YARN WINDING MACHINE Original Filed Jan. 19, 1945 12 Sheets-Sheet l0 INVE 0R 28, 1 L. M. COTCHETT 95,462

YARN WINDING MACHINE Original Filed Jan. 19, 1945 12 Sheets-Sheet 11 INV TOR] Feb. 26, 1946.

L. M. COTCHETT YARN WINDING MACHINE Original Filed Jan. 19, 1943 12 Sheets-Sheet 12 Patented Feb. 26, 1946 YARN WINDING MACHINE Louis M. Cotchett, Hingham, Mass., assignor to Foster Machine Company, Westfield, Mass., a corporation of Massachusetts Originalapplication January 19, 1943, Serial No.

Divided and this application October '2, 1943, Serial No. 505,28l

16 Claims. (01. 24.2-85.6)

The present invention relates to new and useful.

improvements in winding machines and more particularly to a novel and improved holding device for bobbins for such machines.

Objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in part hereinafter and in part will be obvious herefrom, or may be learned by practice with the invention, the same being realized and attained by means of the instrumentalities and combinations pointed out in the appended claims.

The invention consists in the novel parts, constructions, arrangements, combinations and im- Fig. 1 is a plan view of a winding machine ineluding a typical and illustrative embodiment of the present invention and shows the preferred form thereof;

Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the head end or ,Fig. 21 is a top plan view of the yarn supply mass holding and replenishing means;

Figs. 22 to 27 are elevations, with certain parts omitted, of the means shown in Fig. 21, the successive views being taken from circumferentially spaced points corresponding to the position of the respective views. Fig. 22 thus being taken along a line extending from the central shaft in Fig. 21 to the same central shaft as shown in Fig. 22;

Fig. 28 is a fragmentary vertical section showing a winding unit in starting position;

Fig. 29 is a similar view showing the winding unit in knocked-off position such as might be caused by exhaustion of the yarn supply; and

Fig. 30 is a timing diagram showing the time relation of the various operations of the tender and of the winding unit.

The present invention has for its object the provision of a novel and improved bobbin holder for use in a winding machine used for winding yarn or other strand material into packages. A

driving end of the machine; 1 27 Fig. 3 is a side elevation of Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is a fragmentary side elevation of som of the winding units and the tender, the upper portion only being shown; a

Fig.5 is the lower portion of the side elevationyl Fig. 6--A is a fragmentary vertical section showing til? upper portion of one of the winding units and the travelling tender;

Fig. 6B shows the lower portion of the vertical section shown in Fig. 6-A; a

Fig. 7 is a vertical sectional view through a winding unit and showing the yarn supply mass supporting means andtension device in side elevation; l

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary front elevation of the further object is the provision of selectively operable bobbin dofiing means so arranged that only those bobbins from which yarn is not being drawn are doffed. The invention further provides bobbin supporting means adapted to hold'a plurality of supply bobbins from one of which yarn is wound on the package in such manner that. upon exhaustion of yarn from one bobbin, another full bobbin is automatically placed in position to supply yarn to the pacakge.

A further object of the invention is to provide,

a bobbin holder having a plurality of supply bobbins adapted to be successively utilized to supply yarn to a package under automatic control, the automatic controlling means being operative only if the supply bobbin in active supply position is exhausted or broken. Other objects of the invention will be apparent from the description hereinafter given.

In the preferred embodiment of the invention, here disclosed, the invention is illustratively applied to a multi-unit winding machine having a plurality of surface driven winding units arranged in a continuous series, each winding unit compris- I ing a constantly rotating driving roll, a pivoted the stages of operation shown in the pairs of views mentary top plan view of the cammeans and Fig.

20 isa top plan view of the rackand pinion means shown in Fig. 18; i

arm carrying a package core receiving spindle or shaft which can be lowered to bring the core into driving relation to the roll so that yarn or other filamentous material is wound on the package by the rotation of the roll and core. Usual yarn guide means are traversed back and forth across the surface of the package to wind the yarn properly on the core.

The winding package normally rests upon and is driven by the roll and is lifted and held away may be divided into two groups of about 50 each,

the two groups facing in opposite directions, while the driving rolls for each group are alined, mounted on and driven by a common shaft, each of the two group shafts being driven by a separate motor at the desired winding speed.

Adjacent each of the winding units is provided a support for a plurality of the yarn supply mass such as bobbins from which, in succession, yarn is supplied through suitable tension mechanism to the package being wound, passing over the yarn detector so as to prevent its moving into contact with a cam whichactuates the latch lifting mechanism until the yarn has been exhausted or broken.

Cooperating with the several winding units in moving'the tender past the several winding'units 'which'are preferably fixed with reference to the machine frame. The tender is supported by and moves on a trackway, which trackway preferably extends along the multi-unit winding machine nearits base and forms an endless track having two straight portions parallel to each other, one at either side of the machine, these straight portions beingrconn'ected at the ends by curved track por-- tions which-provideanendless path, of generally oblong shape.

On the tender and near its lower portions isprovided a motor which'is' drivin'gly connected with package being wound during its reverse rotation so as to limit the amount of yarn drawn from the package immediately after the yarn end has been found and drawn off by suction. When the correct predetermined length of strand has been sucked and drawn from the unwinding package, cam means, carried in part by the tender and operatedby therelative movement of the tender and winding unit, operate to apply a, friction member *againstthe package to stop its rotation, thereby succession, and moving relatively to them is a .tender, and means are preferably provided for traction devices carried by the tender and engaging the trackway. Conventionally, the traction devices may be' a belt supported by pulleys, the belt resting on one member of the trackway, and

connected through. variable ratio gearing to the motor so that the speed of travel of the tender. past the winding units may be varied at will and adjusted to sizeof the supply package and speed of winding of thezyarn or other filamentous material .being wound (which is the duration of exbeen exhausted from a supply bobbin, the loose yarn end onthe package may be automatically ical knotteris used and carried by the tender, it

found and sucked into the nozzle by the current of air. To provide for the suction, the tender carries a blower which may be conveniently driven by the traction motor, or the blower maybe electrically driven, independent of the traction motor, and the suction nozzle is connected to the intake'side of the blower by an air duct extending for a considerable distance in a generally downward and outwardly direction away from the package.

To expedite and insure the freeing of the yarn end from the surface of the package, a blowing .nozzle is provided immediately next to the suction .nozzle, the exhaust air from the blower is directed :toflow along the top of the suction nozzle 0 that,

when the suction nozzle is extended, an opening is formed by the mouth of the nozzle and its supporti'ngcasingso that the exhaust blast is caused preventing needless waste of yarn.

Along the trailing edge and at the underside of the suction duct is provided along narrow slot extending into the nozzle, and fora considerable distance toward theblower, and means'are provided for engaging the yarn drawn into the suction duct and for removing it from the duct through this long narrow slot. For this purpose asecond slot, parallel to the path of movement of the tender, intersects the long narrow slot, and a hook member is provided on each winding unit-on the frame which hook may enterfand pass through the second slot as the tender'moves. During this passage the hook engages'the yam lying in the "duct so as to slide the yarn laterally of the duct and finally through the long narrow slot, thelength of yarn having been determined by the period of contact of the idler roll with the driving'roll and packagegand being more than sufficient to extend past the second slot. Preferably this yarn engaging and removing hook also holds and carries the leading end of the yarn from the reserve'supply bobbinso as to assemble the leading end of the reserve yarn supply with the exhausted end of the yarn wound on the package, thereby positioning the two yarn ends readily for tying, either manually orby a to receive, engage, and tie the assembled yarn ends into a secure knot of the desiredtypa'after which 'the surplus yarn beyond the knot is trimmedin'the usual manner. Wherea mechanis preferably actuatedin 'correct'timed relation, by the travel of the 'knotter past the winding unit. l

The yarn supply masses normally comprise spinning bobbins and according to the present invention the holder forthem is formed as a rotatable member having, in a preferred arrangement, three parallel bobbin receiving pins, ex-

tending in a generally upward "direction, each of thepinsbeing adaptable to receive a bobbin. As one'bobbin becomes exhausted, or the strand of yarn becomes broken, the holder may berotated to bring the completely or an incompletely exhausted bobbin'to an intermediate position and the same movement brings a reserve bobbin into winding-off position, the same movement also .moving the exhaustedbobbin'through a doffing on, so that optionmay be had for its proper disposition by hand. If suiiicient yarn appears upon the bobbin to justify, the operative may place the bobbin in the reserve position so that it will be subsequently moved into running-ofi position and the drawing off of the yarn resumed.

If, however, there is no yarn on the bobbin the operative ignores it and it is doifed from its supporting pin in the same movement which brings the supply bobbininto the running-off position and the exhausted bobbin into the intermediate or observation position. The pins are preferably pivotally mounted on their holder, with the axis of the holder such that the pins are slightly inclined and means are provided for swinging the exhausted bobbin and pin downward and outwardly as it moves through the doffing operation to the loading position, thereby providing for the exhausted bobbin to be thrown downwardly and to drop by gravity from the pin. s

Adjacent the holder is provided a slide directed toward the reserve bobbin pin so that the operative need only drop the bobbin on the slide and it will be automatically guided onto the reserve bobbin pin thereby expediting the operatives work in replenishing the bobbins, 7

Thus each winding unit continues to wind yarn from a supply mass or bobbin onto a package by contact of the package with the driving roll, and

when the yarn supply has been exhausted, the

supply holder is rotated to move the reserve yarn supply into winding-off position, simultaneously movingthe exhausted bobbin into an intermediate position for inspection as to its completion of exhaustion and the previous intermediate bobbin is doifed from its supporting pin by the tilting of the pin said pin is then restored to its upright position by the same movement, ready to receive a new supply mass dropped onto it through the slide by the operative. As the operative drops the new bobbin into place, its leading yarn end is held and preferably placed in the hook to ready it for the subsequent passage of the tender and knotter.

Because of the factor of end breakage it may be desirable to cause a tender to pass the winding units more frequently than is necessary to insure that all of the yarn supply masses will have been invariably exhausted in succession when the tender comes into operative relation with each winding unit. To provide for this more efficient operation selective means are provided for causing operation of the yarn assembling, upply mass renewing, package reversing, and knotting mechanisms only when the package is idle or the yarn detector indicates the absence of a running yarn.

For this purpose means are provided cooperat ing with the tender and controlled from the yarn detector, preferably through the starting lever by which the idle package is brought into driven position with respect to its driving roll.

As embodied the starting lever has a running position and an off position, the cam means are provided on the tender ,torbe engaged by the starting lever only in it off position, this engagement being necessary, in the illustrative embodiment, to cause actuation of the various tender-carried parts cooperating with the winding unit.

If the yarn has been exhausted, and the detector has caused movement of the package to be raised to its stopped or idle position, the tender carrying mechanisms are engaged by the starting lever in its consequent'ofi position, and

iii)

thereby causes actuation of the various tendercarried parts.

Means are provided for rotating the reserve yarn supply or bobbin into winding-01f position when the starting lever was in off position as the tender passed, but not otherwise. means are provided for resetting the starting lever as the final operation of the tender on the winding unit, these means operating, of course, only in case thestarting lever is not already in running position.

When a unit is winding yarn means are also provided for preventing movement for rotation of the yarn supply holder so as to prevent the idle feeding of a reserve bobbin to running position which would result in breaking the winding strand and in the 'doffing of a partially filled bobbin on the next passage of the tender past the winding unit.

It will be understood that the foregoing general description and the following detailed description as well are exemplary and explanatory of the invention but are not restrictive thereof.

Referring now in detail to the accompanying drawings which show the present preferred embodiment of the invention there is illustrated a multi-unit winding machine having a plurality of winding units 50 arranged in two parallel alined series facing in opposite directions with single shaft 33, each shaft 33 of each of the two series is preferably driven by a separate motor 35 through a belt 31. Bearings 34 are mounted on a unit frame 39, and these unit frames are securely fastened to the main frame 410 of the machine.

For rotatably supporting the core 44 on which the package 45 is to be wound, there is provided a wooden core 42 (or an iron cone shell not shown) which is freely rotatable on a spindle 43 pivotally supported in the end of an arm 45 which is rotatably mounted by means of col lar, 41 on a shaft 48, extending from one end of the machine to the other, the arms 46 being held against easy movement by a heavy spring 49 fast to the collar 41 and having a rolled end 50 which rides in the groove 5| of collar 52 fast to the shaft 48. The arms 46 for each series of winding units are mounted on the common shaft 48, but extend therefrom in opposite directions, and hold the cone spindle 43 at such an angle that substantially full contact may be established between the package core 44 and the driving roll 32, thereby rotating the package core by frictional contact with its surface to wind yarn on the package.

mounted on and driven by a common shaft 55 which is driven from a motor 36 by a V belt 31 provided with means to automatically recurrently vary the speed of cam shaft 55. The traverse cam and thread guide may be of conventional construction but in the illustrativeembodiment Also cam comprise a thread guide 66 having -a-=centra1 thread guiding slot 6i and curved sides 62supported at the end of a finger 64 which is reciprocated in acontrolled varied timed relation to the rotation'of shaft .55 by'means of the usual cam groove in the cylindrical cam 56 on shaft 55. Thus as the package is rotated by the driving roll 32, yarn Y is traversed back and forth along the length of the package core by the thread guide 68 to lay it on the package in uniform layers.

According to the present invention, the yarn supplied .for winding is illustratively carried on bobbins 58 which are tubular and have a mass of yarn it thereon, being shown as the type of bobbin which would be produced by conventional spinning machines. These bobbins are supported on movable bobbin supports, which comprise a base -13 ro-tatably mounted on a shaft i4 which projects in a generally upwardly direction from a bracket l5fixed to and supported by rod I6 extending along the lower part of the machine frame 48. Base I3 is provided with three equally spaced radially extending pins TI on each of which is pivotally mounted a plate 78 from which extends upwardlya bobbin receiving pin 79 which loosely projects into the tubular portion of the bobbin.

From one side of each plate I8 projects a stop pin 86 engageable with a radially extending pin carried by the base member 13, and all of the bobbin pins I9 and their bobbins are held in substantial parallelism by means of the pins 88 and 8! and by an interrupted cone 83 cooperating with a collar 84 between which the base rotates. Cone 83 and collar 84 are fixed to the lower end of the shaft I4 and also forms the bearings for the base I3 as it rotates. Cone 83 fits closely against the bottoms of the plates 18 and prevents their turning on their pivot pins I'l so long as the plates are in contact with the ring 83, but is cut away, as at 85 so as to permit the plates I8 to turn for doffing the bobbin. A spring pressed ball 81 mounted in a socket 88 in the lower portion of the cone 83, cooperates with shallow depressions 89 in the base I3 to insure correct indexing and accurately hold the bobbin pins I9 in proper position against accidental displacement.

On the lower portion of the machine frame 48,

and preferably on the outermost uprights I58, is-

mounted a lower rail I5I supported by brackets 152 and an upper rail or channel I54 supported by brackets I55, the rails I5I and I54 being substantially parallel to each other and spaced a considerable vertical distance apart. The rails I5I and I54 extend along one side of the winding machine, and curve gradually to meet another straight section of each rail extending along the other side of the winding machine, and a second curved section or" both rails is provided at the other end to form a closed double trackway. Both the rails I5I and I54 are preferably horizontal, and the curved end portions I 56 are preferably semi-circular and spaced sufficiently from the'ends of the winding machine to provide ample room for turning of the travelling tender.

The lower rail I5I is preferably relatively narrow on its upper face while the upper rail I54 is a bent section having its channel opening downwardly and provided onits inner surface within- 'sulating material I58 extending along the inner side surfaces of the rail I54, the outer insulation I58 supporting a conductor I59 or bus bar through which it and'the rail I5! current is supplied to power the tender.

.. :The tender 166 comprises a support; member I6I fromwhich downwardly extend two caster stud yokes I63 in each of which is rotatably journalled on a horizontal axis a pulley I64, these pulleysbeing aligned toride on the rail vI51. Above the supportmember I6I :is a plate I66 from which upwardly extend two spaced apart follower arms I68, at the inner and upper ends of each of which is rotatably mounted roller I69,

both rollers I69 being received within. the channel of rail I54, and bearing against thebus bar .Power is supplied to the motor from the rail I5I through the pulleys I64 which are grounded with respect to the tender framaand the circuit is completed through the rollers I69 which are connected to the .motor by conductor III), the follower arms I68 being insulated from the tender frame.

In order to permit the .rails I5I and I59 to be -relativelyexposed, and at the same time provide safety for the operative and equipment, the current supplied to the motor through these rails is preferably at arelatively low and inherently safe voltage, such as twenty-four volts and the current is supplied from the mains to these conductors through a suitable step-down transformer Ill.

Supported on a bed plate I15, forming the lower part of the tender, is the traction motor III which drives the traction pulleys I64 through variable speed reduction gearing I78 and belts I19, I80. .Belt I80 runs under both pulleys I64,

and over the driving pulley I8I, and its lower.

horizontal reach is in contact with the upper surface of rail .I5I so as to assist in the movement of the tender along the rails,

Eachof the caster stud yokes I63 is preferably adjustably mounted in .a bracket block I62 on the support member Nil, .50 that their relative vertical position may be varied to accurately adjust and level the tender on the rail.

As power is supplied tothe motor, the tender is moved continuously around the two series of winding units, and its speed is such that it preferably completes each trip around the machine in approximately, the same time as is required for the norma1 wind of one of the supply bob bins, While these times are preferably substantially equal, some advantage, in many cases, is

realized through having the tender make its complete trip in a slightly longer time than is re- I quired for the winding off of the average bobbin, thereby assuring when the tender approaohesa particular winding unit, the respective active bobbin has been completely exhausted.

According to this invention, new bobbins may be brought into a yarn supply position, and the exhaustedbobbins from which the yarn has been wound may be dofied by rotation of the base member I3 carrying with it the .three bobbin pins I9. The cone member 83 on. its underside is provided with a cutaway portion 85, this cutaway portion being sufficiently large to allow the bobbin pin supporting plate I8 to turnfrom the position shown in Fig.7 to the position shown in Fig. 9.

For effecting this movement, each of the plates I8 is formed on itsunderside with a tripper lu 96 which engages with a tripper 9| mounted on an arm 92 and the plate. swings out of the cutaway portion 85 which extendsfrom collar 84, and is adapted to engage andtilt the pin sup ort block 11 as itrotates from one winding position to another. With the pin .19 in lowered position (Fig. 9), the empty bobbin is dofier therefrom,

and as the bobbin support continues to rotate, an upper edge of the tilted plate I8 engages with the lower edge 86 and cut-away portion 85 so as to restore the pin I9 to its generally vertical position before the support has moved to its next yarn feeding position.

The successive positions of the bobbin holder and its principal parts are shown in Figs. 21 to 27. In these figures, Fig. 21 is a view lookin from above axially of the shaft 14. Figs. 22 to 27 are different side elevations and are, arranged radially of the circumferential position from which they were taken.

Figure 22 shows the bobbin support pin I9 in its normal position, and in normal operation it would be supporting an exhausted bobbin, where it can be inspected by the operative, who removes it in case there remains on it a considerable quantity of yarn.

Fig. 23 shows the same bobbin pin 19 after it has moved slightly fromits normal position, and in the position shown the tripper lug 90 is ready to engage the tripper 9i, while the plate 18 is so related to the cutaway portion 85 that the plate I8 and its bobbin supporting pin 19 are free for pivotal movement.

In Fig. 24 the tripper lug 90 engaging with the tripper 9| has caused the bobbin pin I9 to be moved to bobbin doffing position, and the empty bobbin is thrown off and falls by gravity.

Fig. 25 shows the forward edge 85 of the cutaway portion 85 engaging with the upper face of block I8 50 as to restore the block to its normal position with the bobbin pin 19 in substantially vertical position.

Fig. 26 shows the plate 18 and the bobbin pin "I9 restored to normal position with the bobbin pin parallel to the supportingshaft I4, and in this position the bobbin pin 19 is ready to receive a new supply bobbin or other package.

Fig. 27 shows the position of the parts with the bobbin in normal supply position, and it is from this position that the yarn is wound onto the package.

During the movement of each bobbin pin from the position shown in Fig. 26 to the position shown in Fig. 27, the bobbin pin 19 remains parallel to the shaft 14, and similarly the bobbin supporting pin 19 remains parallel to the shaft 14 as the pin is moved from the position of Fig. 21 to its inspection position in Fig. 22.

While the movements of the bobbin pin and associated parts have been described only with reference to one pin'l9, the movements of the other pins and their associated parts are exactly similar as they pass through the positions shown in Figs. 23, 24 and 25. During the major portion of the winding operation the three bobbin supporting pins l9areat rest in the positions corresponding to those shown in Figs. 22, 26 and 2'7, 1

As the yarn is drawn from the active bobbin it passes upwardly, over a guide bar 342, between the tension washer 35! and'the bottom washer 349, over the thread bar 03 and is guided onto the package by the traversing guide 60. V

The traverse mechanism is shown more in de- ,tail in the prior patent to McKean, 1,992,757, the

structure of which is substantially duplicated here. I The prior patent to McKean shows a typical form of drive for the driving roll 32 and the cylindrical cam 56.

Means are also providedfor automatically rethreadingthe yarn guide 60 as. the winding is'restarted, and such means may be constructed in accordancewiththe patent to McKean, 1,992, 757, and are so shown. Thus each of thewinding units has friction means for driving the package by its surface, and for winding on the package a yarn which is traversed by-a reciprocating thread'guide, while the yarn'is drawn through the tensioning mechanism fromthe active one of a plurality ofyarn supply masses or bobbins. Each unit is also provided with means for antomatically raising the package .outfof contact with its driving roll to stop its. winding when the yarn breaks or is exhausted from thelactivesupply-bobbin, and other means are provided acting on the yarn, and operated by the stop motion for positioning the yarn so that it will be automatically introduced into the reciprocating thread guide 60. as the winding is restarted.

The several positions of the parts in relation to the stop motion and thread bar are shown in Figs. 6A,.28 and 29.. Q

In Fig. 28 the starting handle. H0 has been fully depressed so that the rack lifter I05 has disengaged the teeth of rack. I04 from the rack finger I06 thereby permitting the package todrop onto the driving roll32, and at the same time the latch mechanism has been moved into a position so that upon the release of. the starting'handle the latch mechanism will be settohold the starting lever in running position 'under control of the dropwire II2.

Fig. 6-A shows thepositlon of the same parts after the starting handle has been released, and while the machine is in operation. As will be notedthe thread bar I03 has been lowered] so that the thread now runs in the slot 6| of guide Bil, also shows theparts in runningposition, with the dropwire II2 held in lowered position by the tension of the thread. j

Fig. 29 shows the parts in stopped position with the package raised outof contact with the driving roll 32, drop wire I I2 having raised to-its upperv position as soon as the tension on the ,thread became too little or the yarn was exhausted. Raising of the drop wire. I I2 caused roller I2I,to engage the cam I2Ili thereby releasing latch I24 and allowing the handle IIU to be raised to stop position carrying with it arm I08 which moves the ratchet finger I06 forward. about its pivot whileit is in engagement with the teeth-of rack J94, thereby swinging the package upwardly regardless of its diameter.

The winding mechanismmay be restartedjas soon as a new yarn has been joined to the end of the yarn on the package; and the starting is. accomplished byrestoringl'the partsto the position shown in Fig; 28. i

According to the present invention, means car ried by the tender are provided for moving a freshfor reserve bobbin into winding-off position, and these means cooperate with the bobbin supportso that movement of the tender past-the winding unit causes the bobbin holder to'be-sh'ifted to its next position, andat thesame timedoffs thefbobbin whichhas been exhausted.

jAs .shownin Figs. 4, 5, e-y-A, 6,-B and 7-,, an

' arm 200 is pivotally, mounted on thejt'enderabout a horizontal axis parallel "to .thepath ofmove- 6 asolsjcia to it'ia shortirack section 203,. which, in this instance, comprises a two-toothed rack. Upwardly extending from the longer end of the arm 200 is a rod 205 which, as will be later described more i'n'detail, is lowered as the tender passe a unit which is still Winding yarn from a bobbin to the package. An extension spring 206 is connected between rod 205, and an upright 201 of the tenderfr'ame and assists the counterweight 202 in swinging the arm 200 with its rack 253 into its normally raised position.

A mutilatedsprocket 2H! is mounted immediatelyibelow the base member 13 of the bobbin supply, and is rigidly connected with that base member. This sprocket is of preferably the same toothi form as the rack 203, and has three groups of two teeth each. Sprocket 2H1 is coaxial with thebobbin support shaft 14, it teeth lie directly in the normal path of movement of the rack 203 as it is moved relatively to the winding unit. This relative movement causes the teeth of the rack 203'to' engage One of the pairs of the sprocket teeth to turn the bobbin support through onethird of a revolution, thereby effecting the movemerits of the three bobbing spindles as more fully illustrated in Figs. 21 and 2'7, and as the rack tooth 203 leave sprocket 2|0 (dotted line positions of Fig. 20) this one-third revolution of the bobbin supply has been completed, and a full bobbin has been moved from its reserve position to its running position, and the exhausted bobbin has been doffed from its pin and that pin has been restored to its normal. parallel position.

A later pointed out more in detail, if the winding'unit is still functioning as the tender passes, arm 200 and rack 203 are lowered so that the teeth of rack 203 do not engage the teeth of sprocket 2H], and thereby the bobbin replenishing operation is omitted during that trip of the tender. 7 Means are provided for facilitating the loading of bobbins onto the empty spindle of each bobbin supply and for this purpose there i provided a curved chut'e230 extending in a generally upwarddirection, and conforming in general to the exterior shape of the supply mass used, and this chute is preferably so positioned that the new full bobbins are accurately guided along to the empty bobbin pin 19. Chute 230 is supported onan extended, portion of pin 396 in the form of a bracket 23l at its upper end and is thereby made fast to and supported by the upper end of shaft 14,-the upper end of the chute being open to receive a fresh" fully wound. bobbin as the operative drops it into the chute. The bobbin slides down the chute and is accurately located on the 2 empty pin 19, that pin then being in the position corresponding to Fig. 26.

Chute 230 is provided with a hinged portion 232', hinge 233 extending longitudinally of the chute, and hinge 233 is preferably a spring hinge sothatthe portion 232 is normally returned to a "position in alignment with the remainder of the hold of the free end of the yarn and clips the yarn" end" in the. slot 334 in the hook 335 which is also supported on the upper end of shaft 14, thereby holding, the free end of the yarn ready for. the assemblingand knotting operations which are later to be performed.

Pneumatic means are provided for looserilfig the free end or the yarn. from the package 45 being wound and'for drawing from the package a predetermined length of" this yarn; For: this purpose there is provided a centrifugalflblower 2453 which is mounted on and carried by the tender and is driven at high speed from the motor l 'l'l through pulley 24-l, belt 242,'pulley 2'43 and shaft 244, the speed of the blower being sufficient' to develop a rather high velocity of'air. Supported on and. above the tender'isa sheet-metal air conductor 256 which extends upwardly and toward the package 45 being wound; andthis conductor comprises a pressure duct 2'51 and a-suctionduct 252, the pressure duct partially surrounding the suction duct throughout most of its length. The suction duct at its lower end 253 isconnectedto the intake of the centrifugal blower 240, while at its other end, the suction duct terminates in a relatively thin suction slot 254 which'extends lengthwise of the package 45, and is preferably of a length substantially equal to or slightly longer than the-package being wound} At' its lower end, the air conductor 250 forms a chamber which includes-the fani24ll.

The suction duct 252 is composed of a thin metal member rectangular-in cross section which terminates in a circular portion 255, connected to a flexible hose 256 of' relatively large diameter which forms the suction connection to the intake of the fan. Thus the fan' 240ibein'g driven continuously as the tender moves, arelatively strong blast of air issues from the forward end 258 of the air conductor which is directed against the surface of the package 45 and. tends to loosen and dislodge the end of yarn sufficiently to free it almost immediately from the layers of yarn on the wound package, thereby allowing the loosened end to be picked up more readily and drawn into the suction duct 254. by the air being sucked therethrough.

Means are provided for periodically projecting the suction duct 252 toward the package being wound, 45, as the tender moves'past the winding unit so as to enhance and render effective the suction operating through the slot or duct 254. The suction duet 252 is mounted on the tender by means of links 26l, one link being pivoted on a pivot pin 262 carried on either side of the tender frame, thelinks havingtheir upper ends pivotally mounted on a rod 2B3supported by strap 264 attached to either side of the suction duct 2521 The forward end of the suction duct 252 is provided with a strap 266' extending upwardly therefrom and having a roller 261 freely rotatable at its upper end and adapted to ride on the upper surface of a cam plate 269 projecting upwardly from the air conductor 25D, strap 266 extending through a suitable slot in the upperwall of the conductor 25!]. The shape" of cam 269, and the action of the link 26l are such that the suction duct 254 moves toward the package in a generally forward and slightly downward direction.

Also connected to the shaft 263 is alink 2Tb having its forward end connected to the upper end of hell crank'2'll which is mounted for'rocking movement about a shaft2'l2 carried by the tender frame, and extending in a direction parallel to the direction of travel of the tender. Bell crank 21! is provided with a forwardly extending arm 213 to the forward end of-which is attached the cam member 215. Cam member 215 engages with hub 296 at the adjacent end of starting lever llfl' so asto depress arm 2 13' and the cam member 215- as the tender movespast starting lever in knockoff position, thereby rock'- ing the bell crank 27! to project the suction duct 252 until its slot 254 is closely adjacent the package 45.

At the forward end of the suction duct 252, and immediately below the slot 264 is mounted a roller 23!! of moderate width freely rotatable in a bracket 28! which is pivotally mounted in the walls of conductor 25!] by means of shaft 284, the rear end 283 of the bracket 28l providing a stop to prevent excessive lowering of the roller .283.

Roller 285 moves forward with the suction duct 252 as the duct is projected towards the knockedolf package, and forms a reversing idler between the driving roll 32 and the partially wound package 45. The finding of the free end is facilitated and expedited by the blast of air issuing through the pressure nozzle 258 which prevents the adherence of the free end to the package as might otherwise occur. Inasmuch as roller 28!! driving roll 32 and package 45 are all rotating while they are in contact, the axial movement of the roller 280 does not appreciably disturb the lay of the yarn on the surface of the package 45.

As the package 45 is thus reversely rotated, yarn is paid off from it into the suction duct 252, and the free end is carried into the flexible hose 255. Cam 215 is released from hub 295, in proper timed relation to insure that the free end of the yarn has been drawn into the flexible hose 256 but not into the fan 240, and as the suction continues the yarn is laid along the bottom wall of the suction duct 252 and across slots 290 and 29!.

Suction duct 252 is fully restored to its original position by the positive action of cam 295 operating on the hub 296projecting from the end of starting lever H0, and the suction duct 252 remains in this position until it approaches the next winding unit for the corresponding reversing and end finding operations.

In order to permit removal of the free length of yarn in the duct 252 from the duct, the lower trailing edge of duct 252 is preferably formed with a narrow slot 293 extending from the suction slot 254 past slots 290 and 29! so that a hook passing straight through either of the slots 29!) or 29| may remove the yarn sideways through the duct.

Means are provided for engaging the yarn in the duct 252 and for removing it through the side slot 293. For this purpose each winding unit is provided with a hook 335 mounted on U-shaped arms 395 which in turn are supported on the upper end of the shaft 14. Hook 335 is formed as moves past them. The arms 395 hold the hook 335 in a fixed position so that the upwardly extending portion of hook 335 and the slot 399 may pass through slot 29l as the tender travels.

By this relative movement, the free end of the yarn overlying the slot 25 is threaded into the slot 399 and further movement of the tender causes the yarn to be pulled sidewise, the free end of the yarn being subjected to tension by the suction and velocity ofthe air in the hose 256. f The free end of the yarn is thusmoved from its.

positionto a position close with respect to the leading end of the replenishment bobbin, the free end of which had been previously inserted in slot 334 as the operative dropped the replenishment bobbin into the chute 238. Furthermovement of the tender causes the free ends of the yarns to be located together on the side of hook 335 away from the package, and ready for the tying or knottingoperation which might be performed manually, or with a manually actuated mechanical knotter, but is preferably carried out automatically.

A knotter 310 is carried by the tender and de pends from its trailing side with its yarn. receiving notches in a, position to receive the yarns 399 and 30! on further movement of the tender, and other means are provided for actuating the knotter to cause thecompletion of the knotting operation by further relative movement with respect to the winding unit. i

As illustratively shown, the knotter is of the conventional type manufactured and sold by Mill Devices Company and is adapted to tie a weavers knot, this conventional type of knotter having been modified by the addition of suitable actuating members so that it may be mechanically actuated by the travel of the tender past the winding units.

As the tender in its regular travel around the winder passes a winding unit it advances the knotted 310 past each winding unit 39 and during the said advancement the knotter 3H] performs its functions of uniting and trimming two strands of yarn.

Simultaneously with the extending of the suction duct 252 the knotter am is lowered and advances in its travel; also the nozzle end 254 of the suction duct 252 has been brought into close proximity to the peripheral surface of the wound package 45 of yarn and means, previously described, have caused the package to start to unwind. With the end of the strand on the package having been loosened, found and sucked and drawn away to a length extending beyond the transverse slots 298 and 29! in the suction duct a brake stops the unrolling of the package, the upper slot 399 and hook 335 draws the extended strand out of the suction duct 252 through the long narrow slot 293 and the suction duct 252 is then retracted up and back to its normal idle position, but the knotter has been retained in its lowered position and has also advanced to a position ready to perform the actual knotting operation.

Immediately following the knotting operation, the knotter 3! will have advanced in its regular longitudinal travel with the tender being swung up and back to its normal idle position.

The complete knot tying operation is repeated at each winding unit where the suction duct is caused to function when a winding package has been stopped due to an end of a strand of yarn having passed off the drop wire detector and allowed said detector to move out of its yarn winding position.

After the trailing end of the yarn on the package 45 has been joined to the leading end of the yarn of the new supply, the winding of package 45 may be restarted, and inits further movement the tender causes starting arm ID to be moved to restarting position and returned to runningposition. As shown in Figs. 10-17, cam 335 carried on a bracket arm 33l extending upwardly from the tender engages with roller 211 at the: end of startinglever H0 and causes this lever to be forced downwardly'through the positloni: shown in Fig. 28 and. as' the roller- 211' rides ofiithe lower end332of cam 330; lever l |raises slightly to running position as shown in Fig. 6-A. By this motion the. package. 45. has been lowered against driving. roll 32, thread plate 103 has been lowered to thread theyarn into the guide 60 and winding has been resumed. By the: same. operation, and as more. fully described in the patents referred to, the ratchet bar I04 hasxbeen positioned so as to provide. for proper: lifting: oiithe package in the event of a yarn breakage'or upon yarn exhaustion.

It is generally desirable that the yarn be. wound under tension, and means are. provided for ten-v sioning the yarn as it is wound...

' The tension mechanism itself. is of substantially conventional constructionv and comprises a base washer .349 having a central pin 350. over which is fitted the weight ortension cup washer 351 between whichand thebase washer the yarn passes.-

Movement of the tender pastthe winding unit serves to shift the yarn supply mechanism tobring a reserve yarn supply into feeding. position through the operation of the two tooth rack 203 cooperating with the mutilated sprocket 2l0, as previously described. Means are provided, however, for causing such replenishment of the yarn supply only in case the particular windingunit. is not winding thereby avoiding useless replenishment which would result in wastage of the yarn contained on partially exhausted bobbins from which additional yarn might otherwise be drawn.

As embodied, bobbin actuating rack. 203. supported on the end of. pivoted arm 200 is normally held by spring 205 and counter-weight 202 in its raised position, as shown in Fig. 6--A, and in the full line showing of Fig. 18. In this position rack 203 engages with mutilated sprocket 210 in the manner shown in Fig. 20, the full line showing of rack 203 corresponding to the initial engagement of the rack with the sprocket. The dotted line showing of rack 203 represents the end of its operation on sprocket 210', this rack having been moved through these positions by the travel of the arm 200causing a one-third revolution of the sprocket and the yarn supply masses. During this one-third revolution, the exhausted bobbin inthe position corresponding to Fig. 22 was moved through the doffing positions and the empty bob.- bin pin was moved to the position of Fig. 26 ready to receive a new yarn supply mass or bobbin. The previously replenished bobbin in the position of Fig. 2 6 was moved tothe active position of Fig. 27 where it becomes exhausted and theexhausted bobbin in the position corresponding to Fig. 27 was moved to exhausted position corresponding to Fig. 22. In other words, each of the three bobbin pins was moved through one-third of a revolution in a clockwise direction without disturbing the leading end of the yarn 301 which the operator had hooked into the slot 334.

In order to prevent this normal movement of the bobbin support in case yarn is still being wound from the bobbin in the active position, means are provided for lowering the. rack supporting arm !]v to an idle or non-meshing position during the passage of the rack 203 past sprocket 210. As embodied, a rod 205 extends upwardly from the arm 20.0 and its upper bent end 208lies in a plane at right angles to the rod 205 and is bent toward the direction of tender. movement as well as toward the bobbins. Arm ll0'is provided with a depending plate HI so that with thearm ll'0'in running position, cam plate II If engages bent end 298 tomove rod 205, arm 200' andirack 203 from their full line position to their dotted line positions as shown in Figs. 18 and 19 thereby causingrack 203 to pass idly by mutilated sprocket 2 l0 so that. the bobbin shifting operation does not occur.

' With arm H0 inknocked-off or raised position, as shown in dottedilines Fig. 18 corresponding to a broken yarn or an exhausted supply, cam plate IH does not engage with the bent end 208 so that the bobbin shifting operation and doffingof the exhausted bobbin does occur by the relative movement of the tender.

Fig. 10 shows the preferred construction and shape of certain of the cams, and cam 215. and cam 295' are mounted on arm 213 pivotally carried' by the shaft 212 on the tender. The upwardly inclined surface 215' of cam 215 engages with the hub 296 extending toward it from the end of arm H0 and as cam 215 is moved across hub 296, with hub. 295 already in its extreme upper knocked-off position with the package also in knocked-elf position, cam 215 is pushed downwardly projecting the suction nozzle toward the package.

Curved surface 215' merges into the fiat 215" to hold the suction nozzle close to the package for a short period of time sufiicient to cause the end of the yarn on the surface of the package to be freed, sucked into the nozzle 254, and a sufficient length oifreeyarn paid oii by the reverse rotation of the package 45 so that the free end of the yarnis drawn into the suction nozzle some distance past slot 25.

As hub 296 rides off the end of flat 215", the upper face of hub 256 isiengaged by the underface of the cam 255, also mounted on the arm 213 thereby positively rocking bell crank 21l in a counter-clockwise direction to retract roller 280 and suction duct 252 thereby interrupting the reverse rotation of the package 45 and restoring the duct to its normal position where it remains until it reaches the next winding unit.

Figs. 12 and 13 show the final stage of this retracting operation, and during this retracted operation hub 296 is supported against downward movement by means of roller 211 which rides on track 291. formed at the upper end of abracket supported on the tender.

In the eventthat the package 45 is still winding as the tender. approaches, in which case the starting arm 0 will be at its lower position, which is as shown in Figure 3, roller 211 first clears the lower surface of track 291, due to the relative position of'lowered roller 211 with respect to the under side of surface of track 291 as shown in Figure 6A. In the event that the yarn should break or becomeexhausted at this particular phase of the operation, the lowered surface of? track 291 would then hold the'starting lever H0 in its lower position thereby preventing improper operation of the mechanism such as might/otherwise occur, since the lever l 10 will be prevented from rising by contact of 

